Telangana, Andhra Pradesh okay Land Acquisition Bill

Hyderabad: Amid growing apprehensions that the government may not get Rajya Sabha approval for the contentious Land Acquisition Bill, Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has succeeded in getting approval of the two Telugu-speaking states for the legislation.

He said at a media conference here on Sunday that the Chief Ministers of both states were in favour of the Bill. “They told me that they would inform after discussing the issue with their party colleagues but both of them were positive,” he said.

The TRS has one member in the Rajya Sabha and the TD six.

Since the government lacks the numbers in the Rajya Sabha to get the Bill passed, Union ministers have been personally speaking to state Chief Ministers for support. The Bill needs to be passed in Parliament before March 20.

He said that much work had been done to address the concerns of the states. The Centre has exempted five categories — defence, national security, infrastructure, rural housing, affordable housing and highways — from the consent clause.

“There was no dilution in the compensation to be paid to owners or rehabilitation measures. This is pro-farmer Act, which is very necessary for the country,” he said.